First-year students give back in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

First-year students gave back by working to improve the Westminster, Md., community through a variety of service activities Jan. 20 to honor Martin Luther King. Jr.

Students were able to step outside their comfort zones and help others on by painting a multipurpose room at Union Street United Methodist Church, cleaning the Cold Weather Shelter, and preparing and serving meals at the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen. Others assisted with bundling diapers for CarrollBaby, Carroll County’s only diaper bank, and stuffing and sorting plastic eggs for the City of Westminster.

This opportunity was an optional component of the “My Design” course that all freshmen at McDaniel College are required to take that provides instruction and experiences to help students understand their individual strengths, their goals, and the resources and people on McDaniel’s campus who can help them cultivate their potential. Students in the course develop and expand areas of interest related to the liberal arts, potential college majors, and future career paths.

“My Design” is offered during McDaniel’s Jan Term, a three-week session that allows students and faculty to explore new areas and expand their intellectual horizons with specially designed courses. In addition to a variety of courses held on campus, students can participate in study abroad and domestic study trips, as well as internships and independent study opportunities.